Georgia State vs. Tennessee: Complete Game Preview

Derek Dooley, Tennessee players and the Tennessee fanbase all breathed a collective sigh of relief Friday night when the Vols knocked off North Carolina State 35-21 in the Georgia Dome.

By no means did the men in orange and white play a perfect game, but they looked much improved from last year and gave fans plenty to be excited about as the season continues.

Tyler Bray showed off his ability with over 300 yards and two scores. Cordarrelle Patterson made people forget about the loss of Da’Rick Rogers before the first quarter was over. The defense was much more aggressive and, while it gave up its share of big plays, the Vols picked off four passes.

Now they return to Knoxville for the home opener against Georgia State. The Panthers’ are led by head coach Bill Curry, who will become the first person to coach against Tennessee as the head coach of four different teams (Georgia Tech, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia State).

What Happened to the Volunteers Last Week

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Cordarrelle Patterson stole the show for the Vols in the opening quarter last week in the victory over North Carolina State 35-21. Patterson connected with Tyler Bray for a 41-yard touchdown to start the scoring for Tennessee.

With the Vols trailing 7-6 in the first quarter, Tennessee scored 16 points on three consecutive snaps spanning 38 seconds.

Bray hooked up with Zach Rogers for a 72-yard touchdown to give Tennessee the lead back. On the following Wolfpack play from scrimmage, Curt Maggitt sacked Mike Glennon and forced a fumble that turned into a safety and two more points for the Vols. Tennessee’s next offensive snap saw Patterson take a reverse 67 yards to the house—giving the Vols a 22-7 lead as the first quarter was coming to a close.

From there, North Carolina State never got closer than eight points, and Tennessee held on in the second half.

What Happened to the Panthers Last Week

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Like the Vols, Georgia State opened up its season in the Georgia Dome. The night prior to Tennessee’s victory, the Panthers took on South Carolina State.

However, Georgia State didn’t have quite the success that Tennessee did. The Panthers fell 33-6. The score could have been much worse had it not been for two long SCSU drives that stalled out inside the 10-yard line resulting in field goals.

Bill Curry’s squad managed just 229 yards of total offense and turned the ball over three times.

On the opposite side, Georgia State allowed 488 yards to a South Carolina State team that, let’s be honest, doesn’t quite have the talent that Tennessee will feature on Saturday.

Prediction

The Vols will make easy work of the Panthers, and the starters should be done by halftime.

Justin Worley will get plenty of reps with the second-team offense, and everyone aside from redshirts should see the field.

The biggest key for Tennessee will be making it out of the game fully healthy. Suffering an injury is always a blow to a team, but when it happens in a game that’s not going to be in question, it hurts doubly.